Head of Quality & Safety

First Achieve's Engineering Division are seeking a Head of Quality for their client who specialise in precising machining supporting Aerospace & Defence industries.

The Role:

• Develop and implement best practices, quality strategies, and processes that align with business objectives and support operational excellence. Oversee quality initiatives from new product development to warranty analysis, ensuring alignment with aerospace and machining standards. Define key performance metrics to measure compliance and improvement.
• Act as a confident and reliable point of contact for customers and key stakeholders, ensuring their quality expectations are consistently met or exceeded. Build strong relationships to negotiate, manage, and maintain confidence in Walker Engineering's quality ethic.
• Build and lead the Quality team by communicating clear goals, setting measurable objectives, and providing coaching to drive continuous improvement. Develop leadership capabilities within the team while ensuring personal focus on high-level strategic quality matters.
• Maintain and enhance compliance with AS9100 Rev D, Nadcap accreditation, UK legislation, and customer-specific standards. Drive the ongoing development of the Quality Management System, including procedure updates and team training.
• Collaborate with Engineering and Operations to ensure consistent manufacturing processes. Proactively prevent non-conformances, customer complaints, and rework by implementing robust corrective and preventive actions within defined timeframes.
• Lead internal and external audits while assessing and auditing subcontractors to minimise non-value-added activities. Drive Lean Business and Continuous Improvement initiatives across all quality-related areas.
• Ensure that health, safety, and environmental priorities align with quality objectives, fostering a safe and efficient workplace.
• Oversee departmental and project budgets, including forecasting and capital expenditure proposals, to ensure compliance with legal standards and effective resource utilisation.

Successful Candidate:

• Degree-level qualification (preferably Master's) in an engineering discipline.
• Relevant qualifications in quality management and/or chartered membership of a professional body.
• Extensive experience leading a quality function, in aerospace and precision machining.
• Demonstrated success in developing and implementing quality strategies, policies, and systems.